The Gruul Clans
The Gruul Clans Quote: "Meat ''and ''eggs. We eat!" They once had a proper role, but nobody cares. And nobody cares less than the Gruul. They are now nothing more than savages, the guild that rages against the Guildpact and all civilization. Not that the Gruul would take the time (or learn the words) to explain this, but they feel civilization is a mockery, an elaborate cage that suppresses desire and makes the weak seem powerful. The Gruul live moment by moment, and they “encourage” others to do the same. 'Common Knowledge: '''The Gruul are a loose affiliation of savage clans who squat in Ravnica’s alleyways, abandoned zones, and overgrown ruins. Many Gruul warriors and shamans have come to occupy the Rubblebelt, a broken thread of war-ruined land and settlements that begins near the outskirts of Ravnica’s Tenth District. Warfare among the Gruul is constant and almost ritualistic; the Gruul believe that only the strong should survive and rule. The Gruul are the most anti-civilization and disenfranchised of all of Ravnica’s guilds, and as such are the most ill at ease in a world covered by city. ''Skarrg, the Reunion Turf. In the gutted, cratered remains of a massive palace, a great bonfire burns, marking a place of tradition for the Gruul. Skarrg is not exactly neutral ground for the Gruul clans, as no truce is called, and old grudges tend to lead quickly to bloody combat. But Gruul clans periodically converge on Skarrg from every corner of Ravnica. Giant boars are roasted and great battles are fought, and here the Gruul find something akin to camaraderie. ''Borborygmos, Alpha of the Clans ''- the angriest of the angry leaders of the Gruul Clans. Though no Gruul clan leader has ever managed to dominate or unify all the clans, one is spoken of in reverential tones: Borborygmos. An unusually massive cyclops and the savage leader of the Burning-Tree Clan, Borborygmos “smashes his enemies into paste, then uses that paste to polish his boots,” as the saying goes. Borborygmos has defended his position as the Gruul’s mightiest clan leader for several decades now and has killed many upstarts. But though he’s still an extraordinary warrior, Borborygmos is beginning to show his age. The challenges to his leadership have become more frequent and his victories more narrow. '''Adventurers and the Icon: '''The Gruul are clearly antagonist material - as long as you enjoy civilization, you are their enemy. Still, adventurers consumed by rage and obsessed with strength, frustrated by society and with few friends might find common ground with the Gruul. Many adventurers actually started their careers by joining a Gruul street-gang or clan, graduating from part-time pillage and murder to full-time adventuring. '''Allies: '''None. And they don't desire it. Sometimes the Boros Legion might turn a blind eye and ignore the rampaging giant that happens to wander into the territory of an enemy guild. The Nephilim ignore all creatures as beneath them, but the Cult of Yore and the Gruul Clans share some vision - after all, both seek to bring civilization down. '''Enemies: '''All those protected by the Guildpact are enemies of the Gruul Clans. '''History: '''Before and for a short time after the signing of the Guildpact, the Gruul Clans were a wild and noble guild charged with maintaining the wild places on Ravnica. They were supposed to keep civilization in check. Civilization and the other nine guilds, however, overran every wild place on the planet. This changed the Gruul. As the wilds were torn down, so too were the Gruul's responsibilities taken from them. The Simic claimed jurisdiction over nature's future. The Selesnya preached about nature in order to bring it into its conclave. With their responsibilities taken over by others, they were seen as outside of the Guildpact and the Azorius began to write them out of the law. Outside the law, the Boros were not required to protect them and the Orzhov were free to enslave them. The Gruul decentralized, lacking any sort of real leadership. Now the guild is nothing but a loose affiliation of clans and they are angry. They have been exploited and ignored and they've had enough. They take any reason to cause chaos, any reason to destroy a symbol of civilization. It is common for Gruul clans to raid an area, destroy it, and live there until the resources gleaned from the destructive raid are used up. Once that happens, they move on to a new area, leaving smoldering ruins in their wake. '''The True Danger: '''The Gruul Clans will never destroy Ravnica. Unless a powerful leader unites all of them.